as in rebellion
refusal to obey
punished her recalcitrance by taking away her driving privileges
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of recalcitrance
His Israel-Gaza peace plan was blessed by several Arab states and partially by Hamas, the government shutdown is clearly the Democrat’s fault and he’s apparently given up on Ukraine peace because of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recalcitrance.
—
Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2025
In an ideal world, Putin’s recalcitrance to end his folly will at least finally convince Trump that there is not and was never going to be a quick and easy solution that he could be seen to personally mediate in his apparent quest to get a Nobel peace prize.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 8 Aug. 2025
One reason for Trump’s ire, presumably, is that Putin’s recalcitrance places the president in a tough political spot.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Aug. 2025
But the prime minister’s recalcitrance on the subject of a future Palestinian state, long a Saudi condition, is being faulted as one of the reasons Israel is missing out on this opportunity.
—Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for recalcitrance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recalcitrance
Noun
-
Many standard policies carve out exceptions for disruptions due to war, undeclared war, civil disorder, rebellion, military activity or government intervention, experts said.—
-
Storytelling will never not be a form of rebellion.—
Noun
-
Overnight, a show of defiance inside Venezuela from Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondón, who posted a video to social media making his allegiances clear.—
-
During her own allocution moments later, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, likewise struck a note of defiance and introduced herself as the First Lady of Venezuela, her face appearing bruised and bandaged.—
Noun
-
The orphan’s predicament is as much a matter of willfulness as of survival—inseparable, as in the works of Charles Dickens, from a dream of being somehow rescued by the idea of an adult world.—
-
While this change reduces the explicit admission of willfulness, a narrative is still required.—
Noun
-
At times, Carol’s admirable rebelliousness seems to come at the cost of self-flagellating destruction, a badge of honor to be miserable.—
-
The performance goes from fiery to ineffectual as DiCaprio’s character, Bob, loses his youthful rebelliousness in a haze of pot and resignation.—
Noun
-
Chinese diplomatic backlash was instantaneous, with one Chinese official based in Tokyo threatening to cut off her head for the disrespect of her comments.—
-
Bro, don’t marry Svetlana (no disrespect to Svetlana).—
Noun
-
In the end, her disobedience—forged in tandem with and in opposition to her tribe—felt unmoored without a fellow-Mitford’s pigtail to pull.—
-
However, the dictates of a person's conscience, religion, or personal philosophy cannot justify or excuse the disobedience of an otherwise lawful order.—
Cite this Entry
“Recalcitrance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recalcitrance. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share